Are you winter ready?
If you aren’t it’s about time you did, as Environment Canada has issued a winter weather travel advisory for much of the Peterborough area as temperatures are expected to drop below the freezing mark and rain is expected to turn to snow.
The crew of mechanics at Currie Tire are not only bracing for the weather but a busy few weeks ahead as customers are lining up to get their winter tires installed before the first snowfall.
“It’s like clockwork,” said Matt Currie, manager at Currie Tire in Peterborough. “We’ve been in business here since 1972 and so pretty much every year around this time we know when it’s coming.
“The forecast tonight doesn’t look very good and so we’re booking customers into next week already.”
At this time of the year, many of the mechanics in the shop will work all day installing winter tires, Currie says there’s no sense holding out now, the time to put them on is here.
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“In any temperatures consistently colder than seven degrees Celsius your winter tire is going to perform better than your all-season tire,” he said. “It’s a softer rubber compound and so it going to adhere to the road better.”
With this first taste of winter, untreated roadways could become icy and slippery, road crews with the County of Peterborough say they’re ready to hit the streets if needed.
“It might just be a little more slippery than what people are expecting out there,” said Chris Bradley director of public works. “Right now there isn’t that residual salt on the surface on the road. So when we get a little precipitation it gets that much more slippery, especially when it gets bitter cold as it will be until tomorrow morning.”
Bradley reminds drivers to slow down and drive accordingly to the conditions.
“It seems every year it takes a couple storms and few cars in the ditch before people get the idea that they have to drive a little more safely,” said Bradley. “It’s like the drivers are having to reteach themselves how to drive again as they are so used to driving on the dry summer pavement and expecting to go 80 kilometers at all times.
There are other items on the checklist to ensure your vehicle is winter ready, says Currie, including fluid top ups.
“When the wheels are off it’s also the perfect time to check all your breaks,” he said. “You’ll also want to load test your battery as well. What that does, is it mimics extreme weather for the winter months to make sure your battery can handle that test so you’re not stranded.”
Environment Canada will continue to monitor the situation and encourages anyone looking to travel to do the same and leave yourself more time to reach your destination.
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